Former leader Jiang Zemin gives public support to Xi
'Kingmaker' makes rare move by backing current president in comments to ex-US secretary of state Kissinger released ahead of Beidaihe summit
Retired top leader Jiang Zemin publicly voiced strong support for new president Xi Jinping in a rare move that analysts say is designed to influence an upcoming gathering of the country's key decision-makers.
Jiang gave Xi his full backing during a meeting with former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger on July 3.
A big country like China with a population of 1.3 billion needs a strong and capable leader. Xi Jinping is a very capable and talented state leader
The conversation was publicised yesterday just as Chinese leaders are about to gather in the beach resort of Beidaihe where they will set the tone on political and economic issues.
"A big country like China with a population of 1.3 billion needs a strong and capable leader," Jiang told the visiting Kissinger.
"Xi Jinping is a very capable and talented state leader," Jiang said. He went on to praise Xi's swift handling of a recent clash in the ethnically-divided region of Xinjiang in which dozens of people were killed.
Jiang told Kissinger: "A country like China will inevitably face this or that kind of problem. These problems themselves are nothing to worry about.